'Puppy mill' dogs up for adoption today

March 30, 2009

Some of the many pets seized last week in an alleged puppy mill will be available for adoption today, according to Chicago's Anti-Cruelty Society.

A Pom-Chihuahua peers out from his cage as dog lovers began lining up at the Anti-Cruelty society at 157 W. Grand Avenue in Chicago as early as 8:30 a.m. today for the chance at one of the 6 to 7 puppies that were rescued from a puppy mill. The doors will open at noon. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

On Tuesday, agents from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Cook County Sheriff's Office and the Chicago Police Department seized 67 puppies from a home in the 6400 block of South Bell Avenue in the West Englewood neighborhood.

The Anti-Cruelty Society, 157 W. Grand Ave., received 13 dogs from the Chicago Animal Care & Control Facility, according to a news release on its Web site.

Following Tuesday's raid, Demetria Newell, 38, of the Bell Avenue address, was charged with 67 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. Another resident, David Hayes, 37, was charged with felony possession of marijuana after a Ziploc bag full was found during the search, authorities said. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said a 9 mm semi-automatic weapon was also recovered inside the filthy home.

Officials said they were acting on a tip that the bodies of deceased dogs were discarded in a city garbage container, but they found no evidence of that.

The next day, dog lovers flocked to animal shelters around the city hoping to get the puppies. Before noon Wednesday, about 150 people had showed up at the city shelter at 2741 S. Western Ave., looking to adopt. But the animals already had been sent to private animal shelters, including the Animal Welfare League, PAWS, the Anti-Cruelty Society and the Hinsdale Humane Society.

The Anti-Cruelty Society is handling each dog's rehabilitation on a case-by-case basis, so all 13 from the alleged puppy mill might not be ready for adoption this morning.

The news release said the organization has been inundated with phone calls and e-mails, so it advises prospective adopters to check its Web site for updates.